Corning's Up2 Initiative

Corning's Up2 Initiative

Providing women with opportunities at every career level

It’s UP2 us to develop women in the workplace

The women who work at Corning choose their career paths based on personal, job, and family goals. Every choice is valid and every contribution is valued – it takes all of us working together to help Corning succeed. It has been this way throughout the company’s history. We have a storied legacy of innovation that women have contributed to and been a valuable part of for more than 160 years.

To build on that strong heritage, the company has a formal effort in place to empower women at work. The UP2 Initiative is sponsored by the women of the Corning Management Group. Through UP2, we are developing the next generation of women at our company – connecting people, learning best practices, sharing success stories, and utilizing helpful tools.

"It is 'UP2' us to make sure we have a rich pipeline of women coming up in the company," said Christy Pambianchi, senior vice president, Human Resources.

Through UP2, we are mobilizing the top 200 women of the company to mentor at least two other women. When they, in turn, coach two other women and so on, the multiplier impact is very powerful.

“We know how busy everyone is,” Christy said. “But if you can find the capacity in your role to help just two people, over time you are helping thousands – reaching many women at all levels, around the globe.”

That’s why the company continually challenges women to take a pledge:

I believe the world is a better place when women’s voices are heard. I believe companies are more successful when women are allowed to reach their full potential. I believe it is UP2 us to identify, develop, and promote women in the workplace. I pledge to help women succeed at Corning.

Inspiring women to do this makes for a better company, getting the right people into the right jobs.

Corning has expanded rapidly over the last decade. We have a truly global footprint, with 35,000 people working throughout all regions of the world. That means female talent are dispersed as well.

“Part of this initiative involves connecting people around the world – sharing information on the array of positions that women hold,” Christy said.

“Someone in a particular plant or region may not have a line of sight or visibility as to how many talented women there are in the company making key contributions every day. We’re helping them determine: ‘Where can I go from here?’”

We do this because, at Corning, talent is a competitive advantage.

“We invent materials in the glass and ceramics space and we invent proprietary manufacturing assets,” Christy said. “All of that happens in people’s minds. So we have to have the best people.”

This is why Corning ensures that each person can bring his or her whole self to work. This means we can access men and women, and people of all ethnicities, nationalities, and preferences -- giving us the best talent.